00.35 - A court order has been issued to take Yaameen and Gasim to court within an hour, their lawyer Aishath Azima Shukoor has said. According to the summons issued on Azima's request, the police should take the two MPs to court after an hour of receiving it, she added.
00.05 - Parliamentary National Security Committee will convene Wednesday at 10am to discuss about the current "serious situation," the committee Vice Chair Ali Waheed just confirmed to Haveeru.
00.02 - Whether parliament members accept bribes or not should be investigated, the resigned Attorney General Husnu Suood has said a while ago.
Speaking on a Television Maldives (TVM) programme, Suood said the state bodies have been failed and added that independent bodies are also working as "individual governments."
Noting that the ministries have come to a halt legally, he said even ministers should be investigated for allegations of corruption.
It could be noticed that some parliamentary decisions were influenced by money, Suood added and said the MPs should be investigated as to whether they accept bribes or not.
"If that allegation is present, the confidence in a state body is lost. The President should investigate allegations of bribery, selling votes for money. If not, there is no value of the parliament," he said.
Just few minutes before Suood's comments, a police media official told Haveeru that Police started the investigations of MPs Abdulla Yaameen and Gasim Ibrahim. But the official did not disclose the details of the investigations.
DRP Deputy Leader Ali Waheed told Haveeru that the government is accusing the MPs of attempting to overthrow the government.
Dhivehi Qaumee Party (DQP) and People's Alliance (PA) issued press releases condemning the arrest of Yaameen and Gasim. Qaumee Party Leader Hassan Saeed said the President had "threatened the parliament," despite coming to power in the hope of establishing a full-fledged democracy.
"Our parliament is fulfilling its obligations. The parliament stood firmly for the sake of Maldivians and Maldives in the airport [privatisation] issue. Now we are seeing the arrest of parliament members like Yaameen Gayoom," Dr Hassan's press release read.
"We campaigned for a good democracy not to give all the powers to one person's hands. [Instead] we worked to bring a democracy where the President and the parliament would carry out their responsibilities for the public's sake. Therefore, he should respect the roles of other democratic bodies of the state. If not, the democracy might fall into a danger."
22.43 - Police have started the investigations of MPs Abdulla Yaameen and Gasim Ibrahim, a police media official confirmed.
The official, however, did not disclose the details of the investigations.
DRP Deputy Leader Ali Waheed told Haveeru that the government is accusing the MPs of attempting to overthrow the government.
22.15 - The National Council of the ruling Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) has unanimously decided to terminate the coalition agreements with Jumhooree Party.
A resolution endorsed by the 41 members who attended the council's meeting stressed that "instead of contributing to the public, Jumhooree Party's Leader Gasim Ibrahim showed activities that would hamper the legal government's efforts to bring benefits to the public."
“Since Jumhooree Party Leader Gasim Ibrahim's recent actions are in such a way that would obstruct the national interest, the National Council believes that the agreement cannot be maintained by only one party respecting it," the resolution said.
The resolution concludes saying, "The National Council decides to abolish all the agreements with Jumhooree Party and to advise President Nasheed to dismiss the political appointees representing the party in the government."
While MDP made a coalition agreement with Jumhooree Gulhun in the 2008 presidential election, Jumhooree Gulhun includes Jumhooree Party, Adhaalat Party, and Maldives National Congress.
20.36 - Police and security forces are patrolling the capital Male.
20.26 - Parliament Speaker Abdulla Shahid has asked President Nasheed to negotiate with the political parties representing in the parliament over the disputes between the government and the MPs.
Shahid told Haveeru that he made the request in a meeting held on President's request at the Presidential Residence Muleeage at around 7.30pm.
"The President wanted to negotiate over the matter to resolve the disputes. I went to Muleeage and met with the President. I told him that the MPs have protection. I requested to negotiate with the political parties," he said.
Shahid noted that a specific decision was not made in the 45-minute meeting with President Nasheed.
20.16 - Vice Chair of the parliamentary National Security Committee Ali Waheed has asked the Sceretary General of the parliament to hold an immediate committee meeting. Ali Waheed, also the Vice Leader of the opposition Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) said he sought a committee meeting with Police Commissioner Ahmed Faseeh.
20.05 - The opposition Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) Leader, also the Kendhoo MP Ahmed Thasmeen Ali has denied the accusations by President Nasheed that the parliament was acting against the constitution.
In a prompt press news conference held at the party's office around an hour ago, Thasmeen said the government should follow the constitutional ways if it notices that the parliament was acting against the constitution.
"That is trying to find a solution by filing the case to Supreme Court. So the cabinet should not resign by saying that we, especially the opposition MPs were working against the constitution. And even if the cabinet does not resign, the President can investigate crimes and matters in violation with the constitution through the investigative bodies," he said.
He stressed that the President's comments regarding the parliament's works were "unacceptable."
"We will not be afraid and stand back in our work for the sake of Maldivians in fear of being arrested," Thasmeed said.
Thasmeen further emphasised that the government had failed.
19.51 - Press Secretary Mohamed Zuhair said the police would comment on the matter, even if Yaameen and Gasim were arrested. Police, however, have not commented on the matter.
19.45 - MPs Abdulla Yaameen of the opposition People's Alliance (PA) and Jumhooree Party Leader Gasim Ibrahim have been taken to Dhoonidhoo, reports have claimed. Police did not comment on the matter. But another MP and a source close to Gasim confirmed the reports.
19.40 - The cabinet ministers resigned after "considerations" because they were unable to carry out their duties, Education Minister Dr Musthafa Luthfee has said.
Dr Musthafa told Television Maldives (TVM) that parliament's decisions prevent them to execute tasks assigned by President Nasheed.
"We discussed about this very seriously. All the cabinet ministers noticed that they could not carry out their responsibilities by being at this position. They did not want to remain at the posts if they cannot take their responsibilities," he said.
The parliament scheduled the no confidence motion filed against Minister Luthfee for Wednesday.
19.20 - Details: The cabinet resigned this afternoon, protesting the behaviour of opposition MPs who they said were “hijacking” the powers of the executive and making it impossible for the cabinet Ministers to discharge their constitutional duties and deliver the government’s election manifesto.
At a press conference held at the President’s Office shortly after the end of the weekly cabinet meeting, the President, flanked by the Vice President and the cabinet, announced the Ministers’ decision to resign.
“The parliament is preventing the cabinet ministers from performing their legal obligations. Parliament members are behaving against the spirit and the letter of the Constitution,” said the President.
The President added that he would investigate the reasons why the parliament is preventing cabinet ministers from performing their duties.
Speaking after the press conference, cabinet members said that the parliament was becoming increasingly “dictatorial,” issuing numerous edicts to prevent ministers from carrying out their duties.
“Every passing week, there is another attempt by opposition MPs to wrestle more control from the executive. They are making the country ungovernable,” said Attorney General Husnu Suood.
“Opposition MPs are obstructing the business of government. They have awarded themselves powers to appoint members to independent institutions, when this is clearly a prerogative of the President. They have declared that the government cannot raise any loans from abroad or rent any government or state asset without their say-so. And they are threatening Ministers with no confidence motions on spurious grounds,” said Finance Minister Ali Hashim.
“The opposition MPs are operating a ‘scorched Earth’ policy, trying to stop the government from doing any work to help the people. We have told the President that we cannot continue to work like this,” stated Foreign Minister Dr Ahmed Shaheed.
17.35 - The cabinet has resigned en masse a while ago. President Mohamed Nasheed and Vice President Dr Mohamed Waheed Hassan Manik now remain as the only two cabinet members.
In a news conference held at President's Office a while ago, the ministers presented their resignation letters.
Speaking at the press conference, the President noted that the ministers resigned because they were not able to act accrding to their oaths. The parliament's decisions are hindering the ministers' works, he added.
The President assured the public that he would investigate the ministers' complaints.
"I am forced to investigate the matter. I will investigate the complaints. I will use every possible legal authority," he siad.
Maldives cabinet quits
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